Find out how to look after your supple leather sofa
At Sofology, we offer a range of different leather types to suit your home and family. These include: trusty leather, relaxed leather, character leather and character vintage leather. Each of these leather types need varying degrees of care to stay looking great.
Advice on spills and stains
No matter your sofa’s leather type, all spills should be seen to as soon as possible. With a clean, dry colourfast cloth you should blot the spill to lift off as much liquid as possible, being careful not to rub the spillage into the leather. After blotting, take a clean, damp colourfast cloth and wipe the affected area from seam to seam. We always recommend using the specially formulated cleaning products included in our care kits in order to avoid stains. Please be sure to always follow the instructions included in the care kit.
Trusty leather
Trusty leather is our most durable leather type. This pigmented leather has a generous protective coating that will keep your sofa safe from spills, make it more resilient to scratching and help the leather stay looking newer for longer. The maintenance level is much lower on this leather type, which needs a quick, but fairly regular wipe down to stay looking great.
Be sure you hoover the seats weekly, as well as down the sides, with a soft brush head attachment to remove any crumbs or other loose particles, as these may damage the leather over time. Apply a leather conditioner at least twice a year to stop it drying out and keep it feeling really soft and supple.
Relaxed leather
With a layer of protection applied that doesn’t detract from the beautiful, unique features of the natural leather, this semi-aniline leather offers the best of both worlds. If you’ve got a busy family and like to eat your dinner on the sofa from time-to-time (we all do it!) then the light protective coating on this leather could save the day.
A relaxed leather sofa will require a medium level of maintenance, so it’ll need a little care to keep it looking its best. You may see some ageing and signs of a much-loved sofa as the years go by, but following our care instructions will always prolong the life of your Relaxed leather sofa.
Like all real leather, your Relaxed leather sofa will need to be conditioned at least twice a year to prevent cracking and drying out. Be sure you hoover the seats weekly, as well as down the sides, with a soft brush head attachment to remove any crumbs or other loose particles, as these may damage the leather over time.
Character leather
A Character leather sofa needs to be cherished and invested in with specialist care treatments to keep it looking its best. This style of leather is much better suited to households with adults and older children - if you love the distressed look, this one’s for you.
Character leather is very easily scratched and marked, which adds charm as your sofa ages, but it does need to be treated with care. Be sure you hoover the seats weekly, as well as down the sides, with a soft brush head attachment to remove any crumbs or other loose particles, as these may damage the leather over time.
Only the specially formulated products found in our Brushed Aniline care kits are suitable for use on your Character leather sofa, and any cleaning should always be followed with an application of protection cream. If you take the time to condition it twice a year and appreciate the natural beauty that comes with an untreated leather, you’ll enjoy the softness and luxury of your Character leather sofa for years to come.
Character vintage leather
Because it doesn’t come with a layer of protection like our trusty and relaxed leather, character vintage is more delicate and needs a little extra care to stay at its best. We recommend you clean your character vintage sofa as regularly as possible to keep it looking great. Pay close attention to areas that come in contact with your hair or skin, as oil transfer can occur on leather sofas and can be irreversible.
You should hoover the surface of the seat with a soft brush head attachment weekly, as well as down the sides, to remove any crumbs or other loose particles, as these may damage the leather over time. Be sure to use our Brushed Aniline Leather Care Kit every 6 months to moisturise the hide and keep it looking and feeling amazing.
Important tip: To avoid water marks after cleaning we advise that you dampen a colourfast cloth with warm water and gently wipe the entire panel or cushion from seam to seam. This will help to prevent any water stains as the leather dries.